Teacher commutes 100 km: Why Schleswig-Holstein doesn't recognize her qualification!

Teacher commutes 100 km: Why Schleswig-Holstein doesn't recognize her qualification!

Jasmin Röschmann, a teacher from Neumünster, is confronted with a particularly challenging dilemma: Despite her degree in high school teaching (German and history), which she acquired in 2021 at the University of Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, her degree is not recognized in Schleswig-Holstein. This forces her to commute 100 kilometers every day to Schönberg in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in order to be able to work at a primary school there.

Röschmann has also acquired additional qualifications for primary school. However, this is not recognized in Schleswig-Holstein, which she finds particularly frustrating. Although she wanted to gain a foothold in her new profession as a teacher, when she applied to elementary schools in Schleswig-Holstein she was repeatedly told that she could only work at the high school. She also rejects the preparatory service that the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Education offers for career changers. State Secretary Tobias von der Heide (CDU) has already emphasized that this path represents an opportunity for civil service positions at primary schools, but Röschmann does not see herself as a career changer and finds the preparatory service unreasonable.

Conditions for teachers in Schleswig-Holstein

Röschmann's situation is by no means an isolated case. Franziska Hense, co-chair of the Education and Science Union (GEW) in Schleswig-Holstein, supports her in her criticism of the ministry's recognition practices. Hense points out that it often happens that teachers from other federal states cannot make the transition to Schleswig-Holstein. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Education argues that the demand for teachers is currently not high - with only 27 vacancies in the primary school sector. The GEW, on the other hand, sees the situation as problematic because the low numbers can also be attributed to job cuts despite increasing student numbers.

Jasmin Röschmann gets up at 5 a.m. every day in order to get to Schönberg on time and at the same time organize the care of her two-and-a-half-year-old son. With a commute of around 1,000 kilometers per week, she not only experiences challenges with her scheduling, but also high fuel costs. Her colleagues cannot understand why such a qualified teacher cannot work at a primary school in Schleswig-Holstein.

Recognition of teaching qualifications

The problem surrounding the recognition of apprenticeship qualifications is an extensive topic in Germany. In 1999, the Conference of Ministers of Education decided on the mutual recognition of teaching examinations and teaching qualifications as a priority task. A later decision from 2013 aimed at more binding mutual recognition and equal access to the preparatory service for teaching graduates, regardless of the federal state in which the qualification was awarded. However, these framework conditions often do not seem to work in practice, which makes life difficult for many committed teachers like Röschmann.

Ensuring recognition is crucial for teachers who want to be mobile in Germany. While the legal regulations exist, the reality, as in the case of Jasmin Röschmann, often falls short of expectations.

The challenges faced by innovative teachers need to be taken seriously given educational needs and increasing student numbers. Otherwise, talented educators could find themselves stuck in the stress of commuting instead of being deployed where their skills are urgently needed.